Final answer:
To find the degree of a polynomial, you look for the highest exponent of the variable with a non-zero coefficient. Substitution is not the direct method for finding the degree but can evaluate the function at points. Graphing calculators also assist by graphing the polynomial to observe the highest exponent.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the degree of a polynomial function, the method used is typically neither factorization, differentiation, nor integration. Instead, the degree of a polynomial is found by identifying the highest power of the variable that has a non-zero coefficient. However, if we are choosing from the options provided, the closest one, albeit indirectly related to determining the degree, is substitution (D), as it can be used to evaluate the function at various points, but it is not the direct method to find the degree.
The degree can be directly observed from the standard form of the polynomial, where the polynomial is expressed as a sum of terms ax^n, with n being a whole number. The largest exponent n is the degree of the polynomial. Furthermore, technology can assist in this task, as graphing calculators like the TI-83, 83+, or 84 can graph a polynomial function, and the highest exponent of the variable seen on the graph will represent the function's degree.